Record Rack

Now that the Buena Vista Social Club album has sold a million copies worldwide, it is only fair that the group that started it all should get a chance to strut its stuff with the advantages of modern recording technology. A bunch of soaring Cuban sones are handled with warmth and care by the venerable Septeto, bringing to mind black-and-white images of a ballroom filled with dancing couples intoxicated by the sheer passion of this music. Sixty-five-year-old trumpeter Servando Arango Garcia steals the show with the thunderous intensity of a big band.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.